In the past few months, I have been reading about the "Stoics" who had some wisdom abut how to live our lives but although completely focused on self. The more I read the more I realized the Stoics such as Seneca, viewed life from a humanistic perspective of good family practices with the choice of whatever god one wanted to emulate.
One of Seneca's quotes demonstrates the monstrous view of the family he had and the thinking of his time.
When you read much of the philosophy of the Stoics it sounds like they are reading from the wisdom of the Bible, but they are completely and totally focused on using wisdom and acting rightly for one reason only and that is "self." Their wisdom that sounds like Biblical standards are extolled as the way to live that best enhances one's own life.
Sadly our culture in America is teaching "self-esteem" and "self-reliance" with or without a god more than anything else. In fact for over 40 years now church attendees have been upholding the "self-esteem" teaching as paramount in child rearing, causing disrespect in children for anyone else.
Sadly Stoicism is back in force only under a different banner and subtle schemes of the devil. Those who tell the truth about these things are rejected, and even demeaned for exposing them for what they are, which is the devil's handiwork.
Our country has returned to the barbarism of the Stoics, however, so cleverly disguised as new discoveries. They even use wisdom from the Bible wrapped in "self-care" to sell their lies.
This is why it is so important to look beyond the Bible wisdom the Stoics sell placing it back in their context. We discover when in the context of their writings we see a little Bible wisdom without crediting God, and a whole lot of humanism that elevates oneself to the level of a god.
This is the same ploy the devil used in the garden when he told Eve she could be like God. He managed to convince her that "God" was a mean guy just wanting to oppress her. Of course, believers know the opposite is true, God has commandments to help us have hope and live lives that protect us from evil.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
"3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength,
A very ready help in trouble."
As born-again believers we walk in the Spirit and just like Him we desire to help people, saving them from their own ungodly desires, pointing them to God's Word so that they too can know how wonderful it is to be guided and protected by their Creator.
The only way this can happen for non-believers is if they trust in Jesus Christ by faith, believe Him, and desire to be changed into a new creation by Christ.
Those who are born-again seek Christ with their whole heart and may those who are not yet born-again believe in Christ and allow Him to change them into a new creation.
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